Roommate

Roommate is such a wonderful story. Beautifully written, Roommate is endearingly sweet, painfully heartbreaking, and deliciously steamy. It’s an emotional bear hug. It will make you experience so many feelings. And it feels so authentic. It will definitely be one of my favorite books forever.Roommate is not technically part of the True North series—it is a complete standalone and can be read as such, but it is part of the World of True North, and you most definitely get loads of its magic.I loved everything about this story. It seamlessly meshed a few of my favorites tropes without it getting too crowded. You have sort-of-enemies-to-roomates-to-friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, grumpy vs. sunshine, and a secret relationship. It’s a treasure trove.Sarina Bowen is such a talented writer. She excels at delivering emotional stories in a lighthearted way that make you not only feel but also think. I especially love how she develops her characters, how she makes them unique and authentic and flawed and lovable.I loved Kieran and Roderick’s story. I loved how the story unfolds, and the way they not only fall in love, but also how they find themselves and their path to happiness. There’s drama, tears, laughter, baked goods, and so much joy in this book. I especially loved seeing Griffin be the best cousin ever, and Father Peters giving Roderick hope, understanding, and a taste of what unconditional love feels like.Roommate will shatter your heart from the very first chapter and make it whole again in the end. Sarina Bowen has once again written a masterpiece, the kind that just takes a piece of your heart to claim as its own.I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves exceptionally well written and emotional MM romance novels with lovable characters and more than a bit of steam.And if you’re like me and love listening to your books, you should definitely give the audiobook a try. It is perfection. Teddy Hamilton and Stephen Dexter did an amazing job as Roderick and Kieran. Their voices are easy to tell apart, and their performances are outstanding.Teddy Hamilton was perfect as Roderick. His quirky and charming personality comes through loud and clear. Stephen Dexter as Kieran was also spot on. His deeper voice and acting skills conveyed his grumpier nature and the emotional roller coaster he was going through. I loved listening to this story. It is a definitely a five-star performance.

All around good read! Good spice AND plot. The characters are so alive I feel like they could be my irl friends.

This book was so good! I love the World of True North from Sarina Bowen. She has a great cast of characters and now we get Kieran's story! And it was FULL of surprises. Kieran is the quietest Shipley. He doesn't say much and mostly keeps to himself. But you won't find someone who works harder than him and who is willing to help out. But he has kept a lot to himself over the years making him a very private person. Even with his own family. But with that privacy comes loneliness. He knows it, but it really comes to light when Roderick comes home. Roderick ran from home when he was eighteen. His parents couldn't deal with him being gay and he just wanted to be away and free to be himself. But he returns home eight years later after leaving a relationship that was more harm than good. Now he is back in Vermont and trying to start over. Maybe this time he can get it right. What he doesn't expect is Kieran. They have a super brief history from high school (one that Kieran hopes is left in the past) but this time they get a chance to truly know one another when Kieran needs a roommate after finally getting out of his parents' house. And it isn't long before things start between them. The thing about Kieran is that because he is so private and constantly working many jobs and dealing with tough complications with his parents, he never had a chance to figure out who is he is and what he wants in life. And Roderick entering Kieran's life, he gets a chance to finally figure it out. And Roderick is so comfortable with who he is, but he has a track record at bad relationships and just wants to find someone to love and who will love him in return. They just become perfect for one another.I loved Kieran and Roderick's relationship. First off, as individuals they are awesome and hysterical. Especially Roderick. There were SO many good one liners from him that had me cracking up and were just so freaking relatable when it comes to crushing on someone. And, together the chemistry was great. They were opposites in so many ways but they brought out the best in one another. You could see Kieran opening up for once and getting a chance to be who he is. The story as a whole just had so much to give. And there were such good plot twists that made the book unpredictable. You may think it was following some predictable trope until it gives you the twist that has you say oh, wait a second, what!? Really great story. Just another great addition to this world. And it also hints at the other series that will be coming out soon that are in the World of True North. I can't wait!I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Compulsively reading goodness from one of my favorite authors! I was giddy, and positively beside myself with glee, at the prospect of another M/M book from Sarina Bowen, but also that it is also set in the True North world! And it did not disappoint! I simply devoured this...endearing characters, smart and funny dialogue, interesting storyline, with plenty of hot and sexy encounters. And that’s what Roommate had in spades.Kieran and Roderick were absolutely amazing. Their story was swoony and full of the confusion and sexy goodness of any new relationship. Albeit a story that was complicated, rife with drama and conflict, and I couldn't wait to see how it all would play out. This story is so well layered, with an enemies to lovers hate vibe. Family obligations, personal insecurities, strained riendships and a fierce, forbidden attraction all twist and turn into a story that is difficult to put down. I never wanted this story to end!!There is so much to love about this story... the brimming sexual tension and the witty banter, the heartfelt chemistry and the steamy secrecy. I adored these characters and I truly appreciate a story about characters coming into their own, discovering their true selves and finding their well deserved happily ever after following a road full of uncertainty and difficulty. This was a solid read and an absorbing love story. Filled with angst, heat, drama and laughs. Kieran and Roderick’s journey is not an easy one but love wins in the end. LOVED IT!!

This was just straight up, good quality contemporary small town romance (MM). I loved it. Good writing, easy read. Really enjoyed this standalone story.

SO EXCITING!!! At first I was afraid, but as I read it I fell in love with the story!! Kieran is so cute, a dream's boyfriend. Roderick is so lovely, awwn, I wanted to hug him and tell him how valuable he was and how he deserved to be happy. I was afraid he would end up getting hurt to be with Kieran, but luckily he learned his lesson and Kieran, once again, showed how wonderful he is and didn't pressure him. Their story is beautiful, cute and well developed. One of the best I've read this year!Shout out from Brazil!!

Love this author and this book didn't disappoint. A sweet, believable romance that built over time, wasn't rushed, and all came down to a believable conclusion. Great book.

The format is a lot the same as other books, but i enjoy the way it is expressed. This author makes the characters real, easy to follow, and you know that the ending will be good.

This one of my M/M favourites and I revisit it quite a lot. I adore how these two complement each other and they way their relationship progresses in a slow-burn type romance makes me swoon every time. Absolutely adore the audiobook, btw. I've listened to it 2 or 3 times and I'll re-listen again in the future, no doubts. Thank you, Sarina!

A cool story for casual reading. However, the last chapter in book is superfluous. The book should have ended at the second last chapter.Also, authors must really learn to use the apostrophe correctly. 'The car's here' doew not equal 'The car is here'. Really authors, editors and publishers-use proper English.